It's A Shepherd's Life For Me
by TheFriendlyFire
Summary: "Life is a journey, not a destination." -Ralph Waldo Emerson. I attempt to capture at least part of the lives of the Shepherd's we've come to know and love. Suggestions are much welcome. Credit goes to blankprofe and his/her fic Snippets for the inspiration behind this.
1. Scion of Legend?

Lon'qu still couldn't fathom where Owain got all of his enthusiasm from. Sure, Lissa was always energized and eager to help all she could, but it didn't justify the inanity that was his son.

He quickly sidestepped a slice meant for his sword arm and kicked his opponent hard in the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor.

_Maybe I was energetic as a small child, _Lon'qu pondered to himself. He never really paid much attention to his past troubles nowadays, what with the current war going on and a wife to protect. The probability was small, but not impossible. After all, Owain had to get his quirks from somewhere.

His opponent aimed a blow for his legs, but Lon'qu was anticipating this and flipped backwards, hearing the sound of air being chopped in half by his competitor's steel.

_No, that's most definitely not it._ He had been a lone street urchin, those long years ago. Stealing food from corner shop bakeries and combing the streets for loose change didn't seem like the environment to foster a happy personality, especially one as eccentric as Owain's. _What about Lissa's side of the family?_ Indeed, save for Chrom and his children, Lon'qu had never had much interaction with the royal House Of Ylisse.

The adversary attempted to jump in the air and slam into Lon'qu with a few frontflips, much like Chrom and Lucina's finisher. Lon'qu sighed in disgruntlement, and shifted over to the right of where his opponent was to land. As expected, the competitor slammed blade first into the ground. Lon'qu took the butt of his sword's handle and drove it hard into his opponent's back, causing him to collapse in pain.

But then again, how would the news not leak out that the esteemed Ylissean royalty had a crazy lord or lady who talked in strange tongue and shouted catchphrases and complained about his/her sword hand? Truly, Lon'qu was stumped. However, a familiar voice shook Lon'qu before he could retrace his leads and consider the situation again.

"Ugh, Lon'qu! How many times do I have to tell you? We spar with wooden swords, not actual iron ones!" Lissa nagged her husband as she hurried toward him.

"Hm? Oh. Sorry. Wasn't paying attention."

"Not paying attention?! Think of how seriously you could've hurt each other!" Lissa looked down at Lon'qu's unlucky competitor. "Well, think of how seriously you could've hurt him!"

"Hmph. It's his fault for being so flashy when he was the one who asked me to duel." Lon'qu squatted down to look at the bruised face of his son. "You've still much to learn, Owain."

Owain slowly picked his battered body off the ground, and looked his father in the eye. "Ah, no good father! It was simply my sword hand acting up on me again! I cannot choose whether or not I am a king of swordplay or simply a jester in the court! The hand knows all! And it hungers FOR JUSTICE!"

Owain slowly lowered his fist from the sky as his mother and father bore holes into his forehead with disapproving glances. "I'll go back and wash up now." He dejectedly hung his head and headed out of the training field.

Lissa giggled to herself and leaned against her husband's lean frame. "I still don't know where he gets it from."

"Neither do I." Lon'qu tentatively placed a hand on Lissa's shoulder. "By the way, did Chrom ever name his special moves when he was younger?"

A/N:

So, here we are. The first written work I'm actually confident about posting. Anyways, this will serve as a training ground for me before I get set to work on an actual, novel-length work. I need to see which areas I seem to excel at and at which I need touching up. Feel free to leave suggestions, comprising of which two characters you'd like to see, whether their relationship is romantic or platonic, and possibly a scenario, but I will come up with one if you don't have any in mind. Also, a huge shout out to blankprofe's fic Snippets, of which I got this idea. It's written quite well and I've enjoyed it immensely so far. Thanks again for taking your time to read this and remember any and all criticism is appreciated. See you soon!

P.S: I've always thought Lon'qu a man of few words, but with a whole lot of stuff going on inside that Feroxi head of his. Sorry if it seems OOC. :P


	2. Snowed Out

It was a very chilly day for the Ylissean troops, even for Ferox's freezing climate. Shepherds darted to and fro, running as fast as their legs could carry them to their destinations.

Robin held back a laugh as he watched Vaike trundle by in the largest fur coat he'd ever seen. Normally, the rest of Robin's friends would tease him about his seemingly unnecessary robe he always wore, now it was his turn to enjoy himself in his warm attire as his friends attempted to fight the cold.

Robin was woken out of his musings when a snowball caught him in the jaw. Reeling from the impact, Robin couldn't tell whose hand clenched tightly onto his arm and dragged him down. As his vision cleared, a familiar shade of royal blue hair and an unmistakable smile greeted him.

"Heya Robin!" Cynthia said with a grin.

Robin blinked a few times, as if attempting to comprehend what just happened. "Oh. Hey Cynthia. So, uh, what the heck just hit me?"

"A snowball."

"Oh. So are you guys having a fight?"

Cynthia grabbed Robin by the folds of his cloak. "No Robin. This isn't a fight. It's war." She said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. She gestured over to the opposite direction.

Robin tentatively peeked his head over the top of the mound that he and Cynthia were currently sheltered behind. His jaw, still sore from impact, dropped in shock.

The camp was split up into two sides,one led by Chrom, the other headed by Lissa. The shepherds he originally thought to be running away from the snow were actually ducking for cover. Everyone was dug into their own personal trenches, and the space where Robin was walking a few moments ago was no man's land. Robin wracked his head trying to figure out how he hadn't noticed this before when he heard Frederick give out an order.

"Fire!"

Snowballs stated to hail down as it were raining. Lissa's team scrambled to get under cover as Chrom mercilessly launched wave after wave of snowy death. Robin caught sight of Owain as he prepared to launch a counterattack, but the moment he stood up straight, he was pelted furiously by Lucina from the bunker across from him.

Robin sat back down on the cold snow. "So if it's mostly Chrom's family vs Lissa's, why are you over here?" he asked Cynthia.

She finished throwing a snowball and turned back around to face him. "A hero always fights for the losing side, so that she can turn the tide of battle!"

"Losing side?"

"Well yeah! Look over at our side and compare it to Lucy's!"

Robin looked and saw that it wasn't only Owain who had fallen. He could make out Ricken's hat, Donnel's pot, Lissa's staff, and an unlucky Lon'qu stuck underneath an unconscious Kjelle. The only ones left standing on his side of the trench was himself, Cynthia, Inigo, Stahl, Severa, and Gregor. Seizing an opening in Chrom's onslaught he made a mad dash along with Cynthia to where the others were sheltered.

"Oh ho! Tactician come to turn tiding of battle, yes?" Gregor asked as the two dove into the makeshift trench. "Gregor is start to be thinking all hope is lost!"

"Don't think like that, Gregor!" Inigo chimed in. "After all, with the heroic Cynthia and the lovely Severa, what could possible go wrong?" He was answered by a face full of snow from Severa.

Stahl chuckled. "Got any plans stored under that cloak of yours, Robin?"

The rest of the group looked expectantly at Robin. He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I suppose I do have a very slight idea of how we can win this. But I'll need a volunteer." Everyone turned to face Cynthia, but there was no need. She already had her hand up.

-Meanwhile at Chrom's side-

"I don't like it one bit, Frederick," Chrom said to his lieutenant as he surveyed the field. "There aren't any signs of movement and it's devoid of noise." He was interrupted by a sudden burst of Owain's rambling from enemy lines. "Well, important noise."

"Perhaps we should send a scouting party, milord?"

"No, that won't work. If I know Robin, he's battened down the hatches because he knows the sheer amount of manpower we've got left."

Indeed, only a small portion of Chrom's forces had been taken out. His family, Frederick's, Maribelle's, Tharja's, Nowi's, and unsurprisingly Cordelia were still standing.

"But the troops are growing restless, sire. We'll need to take a course of action soon."

Chrom sighed. "Alright Frederick, you win. Prepare to send-" He was interrupted as Lucina approached the bunker.

"Father, Robin's forces are advancing." She reported.

Chrom nodded to Frederick. "Rally the troops! Battle stations!"

Robin shivered as he and Cynthia crawled through the snow. "Perhaps this wasn't the best option to take," He thought out loud to himself.

"Aw, come on Robin! A little snow never hurt anyone!" Cynthia piped cheerfully.

"Yes, but a lot of snow can cause hypothermia. And quiet down will you? We're supposed to be sneaking."

"Sorry," Cynthia whispered sheepishly.

Once they had made it to the other side, Robin signaled to Stahl that they had made it without being seen.

"Alright guys, charge!" The remainder of Lissa's forces scaled the trenches and charged head on towards enemy lines. Chrom and his troops were so shocked that Robin didn't actually come up with a strategy that many taken out before they could react.

"This is what you get for siding with Chrom, Mother!" Severa fiercely flung a snowball at Cordelia's temple, and the blow struck true as she toppled over the trench. Cherche threw a flurry of attacks at Inigo, but he sidestepped them as if he were dancing.

"Sorry love, but Inigo doesn't fall here!" Inigo returned fire and caught her in the back as she bent down to restock ammo. Inigo bowed in respect to his fallen adversary, but was bombarded immediately by a talisman-induced Noire.

As the battle raged on, Robin and Cynthia were silently making their way through Chrom's trenches, taking out his forces unit by unit. Ironically enough, Cynthia snuck up behind Gaius and peppered him with snow before he could retaliate.

"Hey, that's supposed to be my job!" Gaius complained before Cynthia gave him a mouthful of ice.

After neutralizing a rabid Noire, Robin suddenly noticed that the sounds of furious fighting had stopped. He glanced around at his surroundings. All of Chrom's men were lying down in the snow. The plan, half cocked as it was, had miraculously worked.

"Robin! We did it!" Cynthia exclaimed joyously as she tackled him to the ground. The two laughed in delight and rolled along in the snow until they came to a stop. "Justice always triumphs!"

"I guess it does, Cynthia." He smiled at her and prepared to help her up when suddenly he noticed a shadow above him. He followed it until he came face to face with Chrom. "_Man, this is really not my day."_

Chrom squatted down so that he was eye level with his tactician. Robin trembled seeing just how furious his friend seemed to be. "Robin, I'd like you to do two things. One, look at the position you're currently in. Two, look behind you."

Robin slowly bent his head down to look at the guilty smile of Cynthia. The position they were in made it look like he had pinned her down on the ground.

Robin gulped.

"_Well, it can't possibly get any worse, can it?"_ He was answered by a certain someone's clearing of the throat. He gradually turned his head around and was met by a very angry Lucina.

Robin chuckled nervously. "Checkmate?" he questioned in a small voice.

He couldn't lay down in his bed for weeks.

A/N: Requested by an esteemed guest.

A most unusual event happened this week. A tree fell down in my front lawn, and my family currently living without power. I didn't realize how much not having internet sucks. Anyways, I had to finish this chapter at the local library, so all's well that ends well (I think). I also kind of skirted the request by a teeny bit, as I'm totally trash at writing romance. Someone needs to force me to actually write one by putting the scenario as romantic, and not platonic so I don't slack off next time. As always, all your views are appreciated and I'd love any and all critiques on what I can do to improve. Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a suggestion if there's something you want to see!


	3. She's Got Me Dancing

"A dance?" Brady exclaimed.

"Why of course, darling." Maribelle replied nonchalantly. "I asked Chrom and he agreed that it would do well to help take everyone's minds off the war."

"But that's Inigo's shtick!"

Maribelle stopped dusting her china set and turned around to face her son. "Brady, you are my son. And all sons of mine must learn to dance like proper gentlemen. This is a very rare opportunity that won't come around for quite a while."

Brady attempted to argue, but the hardened glint in his mother's eyes told him the battle was already lost. "Fine. Don't expect me to enjoy it."

"Oh, Brady dear," Maribelle said as she touched her hand to her son's cheek. "I'm not expecting you to enjoy it." Her grip suddenly tightened, and Brady felt as though his flesh were about to part with his bones. "I know you will."

"_Dancing isn't the problem,"_ Brady thought to himself as he sauntered out of the mess hall. He had had enough of those from future Maribelle. He shuddered. "_Not the happiest memory of Ma."_

No, the problem for Brady was getting someone to dance _with_. His personality and rugged look weren't exactly on the market for getting girls, especially ones he had grown up with.

Lost in his thoughts on how to improve his chances, he failed to notice the person crossing the path in front of him. Books and unfinished ideas were soon scattered across the ground.

Brady sat up, rubbing his bruised forehead. Vision blurried from the impact, he attempted to identify the perpetrator. "Hey pal, watch where ya walkin' next time. Why I oughta knock you a good one!"

"I'd like to see you try," a voice answered back.

Brady roared in anger, and prepared to launch himself at the voice, but soon recognized the tattered old tactician's robe and short blonde hair of his sister.

Morgan giggled, and Brady groaned as he helped her up and collected her things. They set off towards the village once she gotten her stuff together.

"So what's up with you today, Brady?" Morgan asked as she struggled to keep her stack of tomes steady. "Normally I'm the one who smacks into people with realizing it."

"Ah, it's nothing," he replied. "Just got a few things on my mind about tomorrow, is all."

Morgan grinned wickedly. "Scared you're gonna trip over your two left feet, huh?" she taunted as they turned a corner to the main road.

"Something like that," Brady said absentmindedly as he watched children skip stones over the lake as they passed.

Morgan noticed the spaced out look in her brother's eyes and her smile softened a bit. "You do know I'm your sister, right? I'm always here for you if you need to talk about something."

Brady shook his head. "Really Morgs, it's nothin'. Besides, isn't there a special someone you should've asked to the dance already?" He knew he had struck his mark when Morgan started blushing.

"Aw, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" Morgan whined.

Brady chuckled as he drew Morgan in for a headlock. Morgan laughed as she shoved him away, and the two made their way into the town.

The worst part wasn't even Brady's outfit. He had always disliked how his father's platinum, almost white hair looked on him, and the fact that Maribelle had chosen a suit similar to match was not helping his mood. He stuck out like a wyvern in the pegasus stables.

He took time to survey the former mess hall turned dance floor. Frederick had done a remarkably good job of transforming it in a matter of hours. Gaius and Sumia had provided catering, and Stahl and Cordelia were currently providing music to accompany the dancers. Brady had opted to play his violin, but Maribelle had swiftly turned his request down, much to his surprise.

As couples waltzed along, Brady felt a sudden pang of longing as he saw how happy everyone was, laughing and swaying the night away. Owain and Cynthia struggled to dodge dancers left and right as they hopelessly tumbled across the floor. Chrom and Olivia beautifully twirled and leapt, perfectly in sync. A very beet red Severa waltzed with Kjelle leading the pair. Even his parents, with Maribelle nagging her husband on where his feet were supposed to stand, looked as if they were having the time of their lives.

Across the hall, Morgan noticed her brother moping next to the punch bowl. She couldn't stand how forlorned he looked with those puppy dog eyes of his, no matter how much he denied it.

"Something wrong, Morgan?" Inigo asked out of concern.

"Why do you ask?" Morgan questioned.

"Because you keep looking elsewhere, and you're also stepping on my foot."

Morgan blushed, and moved her feet back to the correct position as they continued dancing. "It's just my brother. Mother forced him to come, and he's not exactly enjoying it much."

Inigo smiled. "Why don't you go over there and check up on him?"

Morgan shook her head. "No, I wouldn't want to leave you here stranded. It wouldn't be very lady-like of me."

"It's alright." Inigo replied. "Besides," he said as he winced in pain, "I need to rest my foot for a bit." Morgan blushed again, and hugged Inigo gratefully before she ran off to console her brother.

Brady was shocked back into reality as he saw his sister pop out of the crowd and grab him by the arm. "Hey, what gives Morgan?" He tried to resist but Morgan's iron grip only tightened more as she dragged him into the middle of the crowd. Before he knew it, he was tangoing with his little sister as everyone watched in amusement.

Brady was mortified. "The hell are you doing, Morgan? You're embarrassing me!"

Morgan only smiled in reply. "Don't talk, don't think. Just dance with me."

Brady gulped, and naturally let his feet flow to the rhythm. He relaxed tension as his senses kicked into autopilot. He would never admit it to his mother, but dancing was sort of a passion to him. When he was dancing, everything seemed to pause as he melted into the music. They waltzed, swayed, tangoed, leaped, swung, and rocked into the night. As Stahl and Cordelia finished their last movement, the two finally broke apart, bursting into joyous laughter. Various Shepherds came up and congratulated Brady on his technique, much to his embarrassment.

Later, the siblings were laid down on the bank of the river, looking up at the stars in the night sky. Morgan laughed and recalled meaningful moments from the night, and Brady sat and listened quietly. They fell silent for a moment. Brady spoke up.

"Hey Morgan?"

"Yeah Brady?"

He rolled over to meet his sister's eyes.

"Thanks."

Morgan shrugged nonchalantly, and scooted in closer to her brother.

"You're welcome."

A/N:

I've always imagined the Morgans would make the best siblings ever, so it was a great joy to write this chapter. I'm just a bit worried that I wrote Brady a bit too soft, but for the most part I got him right. As for the guest that wanted another RobinXCynthia, I think I'll wait for a few more chapters before I revisit the same pairing. I won't be able to work on anything this weekend, as I'll be going on a backpacking trip, but suggestions and reviews are always welcome! Thanks once more for reading.


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